Jake Peavy, John Lackey and...Jon Lester.
Since the season began almost 5 months ago they have combined for 22 wins in just 55 starts for the Sox. Peavy, Lackey and Lester have all had their explosions of success but for the first time all season they are all succeeding at the same time.
With Lester in particular his 2013 campaign has been one of ups and downs. After starting off the year with a dominant 6-0 record, the longtime Sox southpaw looked poised to seize a job he had long seemed to be capable of attaining. That job was that of a number one starter.
Yet as quick as his excellence emerged, it temporarily vanished following win number 6. Lester soon fell to 6-3 as after three disastrous starts of 6 innings or less, Jon watched his ERA increases from just 2.72 to a whopping 4.57.
But for Lester right he began for falter, a different John shook off HIS early-season woes to jump ahead and make us cheer as loud as ever. After he started the season and abysmal 1-4, John Lackey seemed poised to renew fans hatred for him. But like was said before, right in the neighborhood of where Clay Buchholz went down and when Lester began to struggle, Lackey caught fire. He stormed to the top of the Sox's pitching card and eventually brought his ERA as low as 2.75.
But there is more to this haphazard puzzle of pitchers than just 2 names. Yes there is a third name, and that name is Jake Peavy. For nearly 11 years, Jake Peavy was a name not unknown to the baseball world. Even while playing on teams that struggled to win games, Peavy was often a lonely bright spot amidst fields of pathetic losses.
But on July 30th, that all changed. On that late summer day, Peavy left his teams of playoff-less baseball behind and came to a surging little ball club named the Boston Red Sox.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Peavy, Lackey, and Lester all came together. Since the Peavy trade, the trio of Sox have combined for 5 wins, allowing just 34 runs in almost 100 innings. But perhaps the biggest gem in the many that have been produced by these three men came on Sunday.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Peavy, Lackey, and Lester all came together. Since the Peavy trade, the trio of Sox have combined for 5 wins, allowing just 34 runs in almost 100 innings. But perhaps the biggest gem in the many that have been produced by these three men came on Sunday.
All season long manager John Farrall had made a habit of limiting his pitcher's workload often pulling guys in the 8th of 9th innings and ending their night's mere outs away from a complete game. All season long, the Red Sox had not seen one of their own hurl a complete game...that is until Peavy did it on Sunday. He threw 111 pitches and allowed just 3 hits and a run for the second complete game of his 2013 season, delighting fans and greatly pleasing his manager John Farrell.
“Jake was outstanding tonight,” Farrell said. “He threw some big pitches when he needed to.”
Jake Peavy was outstanding, so was Lackey and Lester, not just on Sunday but on almost every day that they take to the mound.
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